Improvement in telegraphic printing apparatus



2 Sheets-S heet 1. T. M. FOOTE 8v 0. A. RANDALL.

TELEGRAPHIO PRINTING APPARATUS.

No. 105,060. Patented July 5, 1870.

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THEODORE M. FOOTE AND CHARLES A. RANDALL, OF BROOKLYN. E11,

NEW

YORK.

Letters Patent N 105,060, dated July 5, 1870.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THEODORE M. Foorn and CHARLES A. RANDALL, of Brooklyn, E. 1)., in the; county of Kings and State of New York, have ins rented a new and useful Improvement in Telegraphic Printing Apparatus; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawving forming part of this specification, in which drawing Figure 1 represents a plan or top view of our invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical section of the same.

Figure 3 is an end view of the same.

The remaining figures are details, which will be referred to as the escription progresses.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to a telegraphic printing apparatus, in which a compound helix is used, said helix being made of three pairs of helices, arranged in two rows, with a switch-bar running through the core of the'middle pair, said switch-bar being hinged in the center, and the compound helix being connected with the type-wheel key and with the printing-key of the apparatus.

The escapemcnt whereby a step-by-step motion is imparted to the type-wheel, consists of two crownwheels,'providcd with ratchet-teeth facing each other, with an intervening double pallet Inounted on the end of a lever, to which a vibrating motion is imparted 'by the alternate action of the type-wheel magnets, in such a manner that a simple, cheap, and. reliable escapement is obtained, which cannot fail to throw at each stroke the typo-wheel in a correct position.

Motion is imparted to the type-wheel when the circuit is closed, and again when the circuit is opened, and thereby much time is saved in the operation of the instrument.

From the type-wheel shaft project two pins, which act in combination with an anchor, and with the platen or printing-lever, in such a manner that one of said pills, which may be termed the pallet-pin, will throw the anchor in the path of the other, or stoppin, and thereby the type-wheel is stopped uniformly at a certain point, which may be termed the startingpoint, and, when the printing-lever moves, the anchor is thrown out of the path of the stop-pin, and the motion of the. type-wheel shaft can continue, thus compelling the several instruments in a line to work in unison. By this arrangement the unison mechanism is controlled by the action of the printing-lever.

i The strip of paper which receives the impressions is moved forward by a feed mechanism, composed of two elastic rollers, to whic'han intermittent rotary motion is imparted from the printing-lever, so as to draw the paper tin-ward the required distance after each impression.

In the drawing The letter A designates a' frame, which forms the bearings for the working-aparts of our apparatus.

In the upper part of this frame is secured the shaft a, on which is mounted the type-wheel b.

A step-by-step motion is imparted to this shaft, or

to the type-wheel, by an escapement, which consists of a double pallet, c, mounted on the end of a lover, (I, and acting on two ratchet-wheels e f, which are secured on the shaft a, and the teeth of which face each other, (best 'seen in figs. 1 and 3.) The pallet-lover d is mounted on a rock-shaft, g, which has its hearings in a bracket, h, (see fig. 2,) and from which extend two arms, M, in opposite directions, (see fig. 3.)

To the arms t' t are attached the armatures j j of the type-wheel magnets B B.

As the current is alternately made to pass through either one or the other pair of electro-magncts, an oscillating motion is imparted to the lever (I, and the pallet c is caused to act alternately on the teeth of the ratchet-wheels e f, so as to propel the type-wheel shaft step by step, and retaining said shaft firmly in position as long as the pallet is in gear with either of the ratchet-wheels.

By these means the type-wheel is moved so that the characters marked thereon are brought in succession over the platen is, and that each of said characters can be kept over said platen until an impression is taken.

The platen is secured to the printing-lever I, which is mounted on a rock-shaft, m, having its hearings in the frame A.

From this rock-shaft extends an arm, n, to which is secured the armature 0 of the printing-magnet 1).

Whenever the current is made to pass through the printing-magnet, the armature is attracted, and the platen It is pressed up against the circumference of the type-wheel.

The strip of paper on which the impressions are made is taken from a roll, (not shown in the drawing,) and drawn through bctwccn guide-pins 1 projecting from the printing-lever, thence over the platen 7:, and through between the feed-rollers 1' 1.

Those feed-rollers are made of India rubber, or other soft and elastic material, and they are placed so close together that they take hold of the strip of paper and compel the same to advance whenever a motion in the proper direction is imparted to them.

On the shaft of the upper feed-roller is mounted a ratchet-wheel, s, and a lever-pawl, t, which connects by a rod, 11, with the printing-lever.

For each oscillation of said printing-lever, therefore, the feed-rollers are propelled the required distance, and the strip of paper is drawn along so as to leave the proper spaces between subsequent impressions taken thereon.

A stop-pawl, 1', applied to the ratchet-wheel .s', prevents a retrograde motion of the feed-rollers.

Instead of using two elastic rollers, only one such roller may be used, in connection with a presser-foot,

1", (see Figures 4 and 5,) which receives an oscillating motion from the printing-lever,.and the working surface of which is made rough, in such a manner that it acts on the paper in one, and slides over the same in the opposite direction.

From the type-wheel shaft project two pins, 10 at, one of which slightly in advauce'of the other.

These pins act in conjunction with an anchor, y, in the following manner:

Said anchor is mounted on the end of a pin projecting from a traverse, of the frame A, (see Figure 6,) and it is subject to the action of a friction-spring, a, so that" it will remain in any position into which it may be brought.

As the type-wheel shaft revolves, the pin a', (which We term the pallet-pin,) and the end of which is .beveled off, strikes one arm of the anchor, and depresses the same, thereby raising the other arm of the anchor in such a position that the flat end of the stop-pin 10 will come incontact with the same.

- By these means the type-wheel shaft is arrested once for each full revolution, and the correct posi-' tion, or starting point, of the type-wheel can be determined.

In order to release the type-wheel shaft, an impresssion must be taken, whereby the platen k is brought in contact with the depressed arm of the an-' chor, and its other arm is thrown out of the path of the stop-pin in. By this mechanism two or more-machines working in the same circuit are readily kept in unlson.

In operating our telegraphic printing apparatus, we employ a compound helix O, composed of three pairs of electro-magnets, O O 0, and O O, which are arranged in two rows, as shown in fig. 1, with an intervening supporting-bar, D.

Through the core of the middle pair of magnets C 0 extends the switch-bar F, which is hinged to the supporting-bar D, so that its tip can be brought in contact with either of the metal points E or E.

The connection of this compound helix with the battery, and with the keys K K and magnets B B 1) of the printing apparatus, and with the relay R,

' are such that the current can be passed through the compound helix in opposite directions, and thereby the switch-bar brought in contact either with the point E or with the point E. 1

\Vhen the switch-bar is in contact with the point E, and the key K is depressed, the line-current passes in, through the post and wire 11, to the key K, through this key and wires 12 and 13 to the helices of the magnets O and C, (which are connected,) thence through wire 14 to the helix of the relay It, and through this helix and the wire 15 to the post 16, which, in this case, represents the negative pole of the line.

The armature of the relay is attracted, and the local current passes from its positive pole 17 through wire 24 to the partition-bar D of the compound helix, thence through the switch-bar F, point E, and wire 18, to the armaturedever of the relay, which, being attracted by the relay-magnets, is in contact with the screw 19; through this screw and the wire 20 to the type-wheel magnets B, the helix of which connects, by wires 21 and 22, with the negative pole of the local battery.

screw 19, and the local current passes from its positive pole 17 through wire 24, partition-bar 1), switchbar F, point E, and wire 18, through the armaturelevcr of the relay-magnets to the insulated screw 23,

,thence through wire 25 to type-wheel magnets B B,

the helix of which connects, by wire 22, with the negativepole of the local battery.

By this arrangement the type-wheel is moved when the key K is depressed, and it is again moved when the key K is raised, or, in other words, the type-wheel is moved each time the main circuit is closed, and then again, if the main circuit is opened, by the direct action of two pairs of magnets, and much time is saved in the operation of the apparatus.

The connection and operation of the printing-magnet-s depends upon the key K, as follows:

If this key is depressed the main circuit passes from the post 10, through the wire 26, to the helix of the electro-magnets C O, thence through wire 13 to the key K, through this key and the wires 27 and 15 back to the negative pole 16 of the main circuit.

The current through the magnets O 0 being thus reversed, causes the switch-bar F to swing against the point E, and the local current passes ii'oin post 17 through wire 24, switch-bar F, point E, and wire 28, to the helix of the printing-magnets, and thence, through 22, to the negative of the local battery, the current being entirely out oft from the true-wheel magnets.

The helix ot' the central magnets O of the compound helix connects, by wires 29 and 30, with posts 31 and 32, which represent the positive and negative poles of a secondar local battery, so that, if desired, the position of the switch-bar F can be changed simply by reversing thecurrent of this secondary local battery.

\Vhat we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A compound helix, consisting of three pairs of electro-magnets, C 0 0 O 0", arranged in relation.to each other as described, and having a switchbar, F, passing through the core of the middle pair 0 0 substantially as set forth.

2. The double pallet c, oscillating between the teeth of theratchet-wheels e f, on the type-wheel shaft a, in combination with the magnets B B, substantially as and for the purpose described.

' 3. The oscillating anchor y and pins wat, in combination with the type-wheel shaft, and with the printing-lever, or any part connected to the same, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A paper-feeding mechanism, composed of elastic rollers or an oscillating foot acting on one elastic .roller, and operated from the printing-lever of tclcgraphic printing apparatus, as herein described.

5. The mechanism, substantially as herein described, for moving the type-wheelfirst when the main circuit is closed, and then when the main circuit is opened, consisting of a pair of magnets, B B, which are thrown in the circuit of the local battery when the main circuit is closed, and another pair of magnets, B B, which are thrown in the circuit of the local buttery when the main circuit is opened, as set forth.

(5. The combination of the printing-lever with the unison mechanism and type-wheel shaft, substantially as described, whereby the type-wheel shaft, after having been arrested by the unison mechanisnnis liberated by the action ofthe printing-lever, or any part connectrd to the same.

T. M. FOOTE. C. A. RANDALL.

Witnesses:

W. HAUFF, E. F. Kxsrnxrwnsn. 

